in the kitchen

8 CREATIVE TOOLS FOR YOUR KITCHEN

From shears to crock pots, these tools make meal prep and clean-up easier. | BY LEIGHA MESSNER

This past year you may have found yourself among the 85% of Americans who made at least some change in their eating habits due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to the International Food Information Council’s 2020 Food and Health Survey, 60% of Americans report cooking at home more. With this shift, more time has been spent in our kitchens following recipes that call for us to dust off cookware or buy equipment we never knew we needed in our arsenal.

With the holiday season upon us, there are some old classics you might want to consider and new gadgets that are certainly worth investing in to help save time with meal prep and kitchen clean-up, increase food preservation, and decrease your carbon footprint well into the new year and beyond.

Here are some of the top mentioned items by dietitians to have “In the Kitchen”:

1FOOD HUGGERS Lengthen the life of your cut fruits and vegetables while reducing food and plastic waste with these reusable food savers. As the name implies, the product “hugs” leftover fruit and vegetables of various sizes, creating a snug seal that preserves freshness of the cut side. This eliminates the need to wrap in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. The level of ripeness prior to being cut can lessen the amount of time cut produce retains its freshness, with maximum storage generally lasting three to four days.

2ANGRY AND CHILLY MAMA The perfect gag gift that is worth getting for yourself! Angry Mama Microwave Cleaner helps ease the stress of cleaning your forgotten microwave. By adding measured amounts of water and vinegar and letting Mama heat for 7 minutes, she does the hard work while you need only wipe away any residue. If you have cleaned with vinegar-based products in the past, you will know to expect a vinegar aroma for an hour or two after using. Adding citrus juice, like lemon, will help with the aromatics. Her sister product, Chilly Mama, chills in the back of your fridge absorbing odors and policing freshness as long as you keep her happily filled with baking soda.

3KITCHEN SHEARS These fancy scissors can cut prep time by doing away with sharp knives that aren’t always the best tool for the job and help curb cross contamination on cutting boards. Use these to help snip herbs and prune vegetables, breakdown poultry, slice bacon, chop whole tomatoes in their can, or open food packaging. Best of all, they can “toddler-ize” any food into appropriate bite-size pieces. 4 NONSTICK BAKING MATS Silicone baking mats are a luxury you didn’t know you were missing. The task of adding oils, cooking sprays, aluminum foil or parchment paper will be a thing of your past. They also reduce the amount of elbow grease needed for clean-up. Add in their ability to be reused on anything from baked goods to sheet-pan dinners and they are a no-brainer when it comes to sustainability and saved time in the kitchen.

Leigha Messner is a registered dietitian nutritionist who is a clinical dietitian at Lee Health.

5RUBBER-TIPPED TONGS These are like having your best friend helping you in the kitchen at all times. They help with multitasking by flipping vegetables or meats while sautéing or grilling, tossing a salad, or mixing a sauce into pasta. By locking the tongs or holding them shut, they easily transform to help mix sauces or dressings together without having to break out another utensil. The rubber tip is key to prevent scratching your pots and pans. to your family’s schedule. Menu possibilities are endless with the ability to cook anything from economically efficient ways to prepare

6BABY STEAMER

What was originally a Hail Mary to help transition our baby to solids has now made its way through infancy and become a staple kitchen gadget in the house. With the help of pre-programmed timers, vegetables, fruits and protein are prepped or cooked in record time. The steamer eliminates the need to watch water boil or worry about over-steaming. The most used feature as of late is the ability to cook hard-boiled eggs or steam a sweet potato with the simple push of a button. This little gadget will continue to be used well through toddlerhood and 7 CROCK POT Slow cookers have come a long way since their introduction in the 1950s with every change continuing to save us money and time in the kitchen. The latest models have timers alongside the High, Low and Warm settings that allow you to tailor cooking time baked goods, side dishes or entrées. Add in the multitude of leftovers and this is one of the most

beyond. your meals.

8CITRUS SPRAYERS I saw these during a conference and was surprised at their efficiency. The top is made to screw directly into the fruit, then sprays the fresh juice right onto your plate or into your glass. While not really a necessary kitchen tool, this little sprayer is fun to use and can instantly help you liven up a dish or beverage with a spritz of citrus. Simple rule of thumb would be to use citrus at room temperature and use smaller and larger sprayer for appropriate citrus varietals.

Whichever tools you decide to add to your kitchen arsenal, remember the fine line between cooking healthy, costconscious meals at home versus over-priced takeout often comes down to how easy the meal is to prep and make after a long day. Investing in just a few kitchen staples such as these can be all the difference in meeting nutritional goals.